Economic Policy during Khmer Rouge Rule

 

 Brutality of the Khmer Rouge

Democratic Kampuchea, which was the name of the Khmer Rouge controlled state that ruled Cambodia during 1975 to 1979, had an economic policy that was similar to, and possibly inspired by, China's radical Great Leap Forward that carried out immediate collectivization of the Chinese countryside in 1958.

However, far more than had the Chinese communists, the Khmer Rouge always pursued the ideal of economic self-sufficiency. Extreme measures were taken from this ideal. Currency was abolished, and domestic trade or commerce could only be conducted through barter. Rice, that was measured in tins, became the most important medium of exchange, although some other people also bartered gold, jewelry, and other personal belongings. Foreign trade was almost completely stopped, though there was a limited revival in late 1976 and early 1977. China was the most important trading partner, but commerce amounting to a few million dollars was also conducted with France, with Britain, and with the United States through a Hong Kong intermediary.